The co-existence of low and high speech levels have become the explicit social markers of the language of Java as one of the stratified languages of Indonesia – as they are shown in the other four stratified languages of Indonesia – such as Balinese, Sundanese, Madurese and Sasak of Lombok. The pairs of low and high speech levels are language codes that can be used to show a social relationship between or among its speakers during their daily life. Dyadic use of low and high codes of the language of Java are shown in three communication patterns of use of speech levels as a reflection of a social stratification of the society.

This paper discusses how speakers of the language of Java use low code (ngoko) speech level symmetrically. It is customary for its speakers to use a low code, as an integral part of speech levels, in the daily life of communication within their own speech community. In dyadic and symmetrical communication, two speakers of the language of Java will use low (ngoko) code to communicate to each other during their daily life. Regular use of low (ngoko) code symmetrically by two or more speakers can be seen as a marker of social equality and intimacy. Symmetrical use of low code (ngoko) reflects a meaning of social solidarity between or among the participants involved in a speech act in a speech event within a speech community. Regular use of low code (ngoko) indicates strongly that there is a reflection of politeness in language use and it is called friendliness politeness. Symmetrical use of low code (ngoko) indicates that it is not merely a communication strategy but – as it will become a research hypothesis – a kind of social contract or social agreement in broader sense or intimate communication contract for more specific one between or among the participants involved in a speech act in a speech event within a speech community.

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Majid Wajdi is an English teacher of State Polytechnic of Bali. He has been teaching at his institution since November 1990 - present. He finished his undergraduate (S1) in 1989 at English Department, Faculty of Arts Udayana University. He completed his master degree (M.Pd) in language teaching at University of Education (Ganesha), Singaraja, Bali. He finished his Ph.D program at Linguistics Program, Post Graduate Program Udayana University. He is interested in sociolinguistics, sociopragmatics, discourse analysis, ethnography of speaking, language and power.